Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming
This is part of the advice that Shiraz Singh (the woman on the right) gives her daughter when faced with aggressive street harassers.
Watch as women like Singh in Delhi, India, one of the least safe cities for women in the world, explain how they defend themselves against street harassers in a New York Times video (there is an accompanying article, too).
Stop street harassment by… My street harassment story is… A safe community would look like…
Use words, images, photographs to complete one of those sentences and submit it for inclusion in an art exhibit!!
The art exhibit will be at MOCA DC in Washington, DC, on Sunday, March 18, 3 – 9 p.m. as part of International Anti-Street Harassment Week. But you don’t have to be in DC or even in the USA to submit something. The main organizer is the Deaf Abused Women’s Network and they will accept submissions from anywhere, you just need to either mail or scan/email it in by March 16.
Here is information about submission process. You can also submit art work on a separate 11 x 14 piece of paper, just email a scanned file to earl@deafdawn.org.
Fathers can be natural allies in ending street harassment. I’m lucky to have a wonderful father who is one, and he’s organizing action in New York City for International Anti-Street Harassment Week.
He agreed to do a quick interview about why he’s involved and what’s going on in NYC. We hope this will inspire other men, especially fathers, to become involved, too!
1. Stop Street Harassment (SSH): Why are you involved with International Anti-Street Harassment Week?
Alan Kearl (AK): I was involved in last year’s activities in New York City and when I learned that in one of the largest cities of the world and found that there were just a few efforts in such a big city, I decided that this year, I could help encourage, organize and facilitate a lot more activity. New York City, a leader in so many facets of culture and life in the world, should be among the forefront of educating, speaking out and inspiring change that improves life for women and makes daily life safer for women.
2. SSH: What are you doing this year?
AK: Here in New York City, there are about 13 groups of activists who are working together to coordinate activities during International Anti-Street Harassment Week. We are trying to have activities that engage, men and women of all ages and demographics in all five of the boroughs of New York. Confirmed events include a self-defense class for middle schoolers, a fabulous performance art event that will engage attendees in understanding the street harassment, educational workshops held in public school classrooms, a viral video of men talking to men about the consequences of street harassment, a brilliant new program that will offer bystanders a way to help victims and others. Our efforts will culminate with a rally on Saturday, March 24th at which we’ll have several passionate, articulate speakers.
3. SSH: Why does speaking out on this issue matter to you?
AK: Why I’m speaking out on this issue — I have an amazing daughter who has exposed me to the fact that virtually every female, more than half of the world, is subject to harassment for no other reason than that they are female. I have learned from her that this harassment causes all sorts of problems from obvious things like hurt, anxiety, fear, anger, and humiliation; to worse things like bodily and emotional injury; to changing habits, limiting activity and even moving and changing jobs. This is a huge toll on more than half of the people in the world and it is sobering to think that this is caused by the other half of the world’s populations, males and to think that I’m a male. I have come to know that I need to do something to make up for, curtail and hopefully stop the horrific acts intended or not, of the males of this world. I want the world to be a safe place for all females.
Update: Here is a video of both my parents talking about why they’re involved in International Anti-Street Harassment Week.
Alan Kearl is the proud father of three daughters and has been happily married to his sweetheart for the past 32 years. He lives in New York City and is the Chief Operating Officer of a cosmetics manufacturing company. Much of his adult life has been spent surrounded by women and involved in women’s issues. He operates by the maxim that making the world a better place starts by being aware of, interested in and respectful of the very next person he encounters.
Women in Myanmar launched a creative campaign to fight the problem of sexual harassment on their transit system.
Their campaign is called “whistle for help” and “about 150 volunteers have been distributing whistles and pamphlets to women at eight busy bus stops in Yangon each Tuesday morning in February. The group plans to continue the weekly program for another nine months.”
“The pamphlet instructs women to blow the whistle when they experience sexual harassment on the bus.
“Please go and help the women who blow whistle and let’s stop this unacceptable behaviour,” the pamphlet said. “The campaign and advocacy is not directed against all men but only those who commit these acts.”
The group has also requested support for its campaign from the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission.
Daw Htar Htar, a member of the campaign committee, told The Myanmar Times that women regularly experienced sexual harassment on the city’s bus network but they were usually too afraid or shy to report it.
“Our country is famous for Theravada Buddhism and its related culture and customs but this behaviour brings shame on all of us. We should not accept it anymore and have to stop it from now on,” she said.
“Our body is not their sex object. Why should we keep silent with our head down? It is time to go against it. We can’t work alone but need all helping hands to go against it so that we can create a beautiful, safe and secure environment.”
“Over the past 30 years I myself faced this awful event sometimes and I always thought it was my fault, and kept silent even though I hated it so much. I am now over 40 so … I don’t have to worry as much about this problem but I am worried for my daughter, nieces and younger sisters. What if they meet these kind of detestable men?”
The whistle campaign is so popular, riders regularly ask for extra whistles to pass out to their friends and family and some have requested the organizers expand their campaign to other regions.
The bus drivers are supportive too: “U Tun Aung, a driver one the No 51 line, said sexual harassment had been tolerated on buses for too long and he praised the “whistle for help” organisers for devising an effective, non-violent campaign to stop it.”
Also, on Feb. 14, the Parami bus line and its Adipati subsidiary began offering women-only services during the morning and evening rush hours, when buses are crowded and women more likely to experience sexual harassment. They haven’t said if that would be a permanent measure or not.
I really like the whistle campaign and its community grassroots activism feel. It encourages bystanders to get involved and help out when they hear a whistle so the harassed person does not have to deal with it all on their own. Plus, it’s a simple idea and whistles are cheap and easy to use!
Do you think a similar campaign could work in other cities/countries?
This is partially cross-posted from the guest post I wrote for Greater Greater Washington earlier today.
Unwanted sexual comments, indecent exposure, groping, and public masturbation: sexual harassment happens often on transit in Washington, DC, just as it happens in cities around the world. Local grassroots activist group Collective Action for Safe Spaces (CASS)/Holla Back DC! has been tracking and speaking out on this issue for 3 years.
Of the hundreds of stories of street harassment submitted to their blog, 30% take place on the transit system or at Metro platforms or bus stops.
After unsuccessfully trying to meet with WMATA and not receiving responses to inquiries about statistics of sexual harassment, CASS board members, including myself, decided to organize a group of people to testify at yesterday’s WMATA oversight hearing at the DC Council, chaired by Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser.
Six of us testified and we were the only members of the public who testified about anything relating to WMATA, so we had their attention and the attention of the media. After laying out the facts, sharing stories of harassment, and informing them about what transit systems in Boston, New York City and Chicago are doing to address sexual harassment that WMATA is not, we gave our recommendations.
1. Better tracking and reporting of incidents
2. A public service awareness campaign so people know what their rights are and how to report incidents
3. Better training of Metro employees so they don’t harass passengers and so they respond to reports of harassment more appropriately.
Councilmember Bowser was very receptive to these suggestions, especially the PSA campaign. WMATA CEO Richard Sarles said he would talk with his counterparts in the three cities that have PSA campaigns, to get advice on how to bring one to DC. Their responses were very encouraging, but of course we won’t call it a success until we actually have a campaign.
And there is still work to do around WMATA’s responses to and treatment of harassment.
While WMATA keeps painting harassment as flirting in their statements to the press, we’re not talking about flirting, and the testimonies illustrated what’s really going on.
You can watch our testimonies and/or click on the links of our names below to read each of our testimonies. They illustrate the real harassment that goes on the Metro and sadly show Metro employees either mishandling or being the harassers.
Chai Shenoy, co-founder of Collective Action for Safe Spaces (4:23:17 on the video)
Ami Lynch, private citizen (4:30 on the video)
Pascale Leone , private citizen (4:34:05 on the video)
Karen Starr, private citizen (4:38:25 on the video)
Ben Merrion, private citizen (4:52 on the video)
Holly Kearl, Stop Street Harassment (4:55:32 on the video)
Dienna Howard, private citizen, could not attend but submitted her testimony for the record.
At minute 5:16:45, WMATA CEO Richard Sarles begins his response to our concerns.
Metro says they are doing a good job addressing sexual crimes since there were only 84 reported “sexual offenses” last year. We disagree. We know that sexual crimes are vastly under-reported to begin with and then, when people do try to report it, how many of them are like Ami and Pascale? Instead of having their incident handled and recorded, they’re met with laughter or disbelief and their incident is left off the record.
Additionally, after our testimonies, we were told by someone in from the transit police office, that unless verbal harassment is directly threatening, it is not recorded at all and is a matter of free speech. So none of the verbal sexual harassment that we know is so prevalent is tracked.Also, we learned that if someone exposes themselves to you, unless a transit police officer sees it too, it’s doubtful you’ll be able to see any action taken because it will be a “he said, she said” situation.
It’s funny how unwanted sexual comments constitute sexual harassment in the workplace and schools, but, according to the police officer, they are free speech on the Metro system.
While both Councilmember Bowser and the Metro Police said they want to work with us, we know it will not be easy and that our work is just beginning. Especially since Metro continues to not apologize for the harassment and crimes taking place but instead continues publicly to equate harassment with flirting.
We plan to bring a larger group to testify at the WMATA budget hearing in April and we likely will launch a petition or advocacy campaign in March, so stay tuned.